Wednesday, May 1, 2013

April Beauty Favourites

2013 is running along so quickly, it's already May! This means I am graduating university soon, travelling to the USA and *drum roll* can tell you about my April beauty faves! Yay!

A few of the items I bought in April, and some I have had for a bit longer but have been using excessively during the past month.

Enjoy!

I am so happy I picked up this Garnier BB cream for normal skin. YouTube beauty guru Chloe Morello recently used the one for oily/combo skin in a video and I absolutely loved how it looked on her. I opted for this one, because my skin is normal/dry. I am trying to get out of the habit of wearing a full coverage foundation on days when I go to uni or to coffee, shopping etc. I can tell this is going to help me. The coverage is light to medium, the colour is neutral (not pink like other BB creams) and it gives me a glowing finish. My skin feels a lot better after I wash this off, then when I wash off a heavy foundation. Love this. $13.99 from Priceline.

This illuminator is gold coloured and works as a lovely highlighter on the cheek bones and forehead. On the back it recommends mixing it in with your foundation before applying it. It is beautiful if you are looking to not use powder and achieve a glowing and/or dewy finish. You can get this from Priceline for $22.95, however my mum got a box of Nude by nature products for only $20 from a store in Sydney (I will find out the name and let you know!)

I bought the Australis Fresh and Flawless Pressed Powder in darkest brown (pictured) and loved it so much I went back and bought it in the shade lighter (for non-tanned days). It is supposed to be a dupe for the MAC Studio Fix Powder. I have never used the MAC powder, but I can tell you, after using the Australis product, I am not even trying MAC's. The F&F powder is full coverage and gives a flawless finish. It covers my under eye circles so much better than any concealer I have tried. It comes with a sponge which is great for when you want full coverage. Use a big brush if you want less coverage. $11.40 from Priceline.

Should I be ashamed of what I am about to say...This is the first Kohl eyeliner I have owned.. I know. But I love this one (derr, that's why it's an April favourite!) I went for brown because I always thought that eyeliner in the rim closed my eyes off too much. This brown is pretty dark so I think it still gives the same effect a black kohl eyeliner would if you're using it with a smokey eye. I am currently liking using this liner, putting on loads of mascara, lining my upper lid (you don't want the bottom rim to be thicker than the top) and putting a highlight shadow in the inner rim and brow bone. Glam but pulled back. Only $4.99 from Priceline.

I have finally mastered applying false eyelashes! Yay! And I am so happy that I have. I love the look of long and voluminous lashes, and personally, falsies do a much better job of achieve this then mascara (unless you are blessed with great lashes, of course). These revlon ones are perfect for a day to night. They add length and volume, and look really natural. I bought these in Hawaii from Walmart (bless US cosmetics prices) but you can buy Revlon lashes from Priceline and our Aussie equivalent to US drugstores.

I love this Vaseline lip therapy because it is really soothing but thin, so it is great to use when you begin doing your makeup, so your lips are prepped for lipstick/gloss/balm/tar/stain... whatever you're going to use! I bought this from the Reject Shop for a couple of dollars. Bargain.

Ahh Real Techniques. Thank you pixiwoo girls! I love all of my Real Techniques brushes, but the buffing brush is pretty much the only brush I use for appealing my foundation now. It applies flawlessly and is also great for blending your contouring for no extra harsh lines. I got my brush from iherb in a set which cost $15.50. There is a discount code and more info about the brushes in my post http://corestyleonline.blogspot.com.au/2013/04/my-brand-new-real-techniques-brushes.html .

So much goodness, healing and moisture put into a 300g pack that only cost $3.99. This stuff is amazing. I use it day and night. Before makeup and before bed. I really think that it has helped vanish my acne scars (something that vitamin E is supposed to do). My skin is not as dry anymore too. A little goes a very long way. I bought mine from Priceline.

Loveeee this Rimmel nail polish in Caramel Cupcake. The very dark nude/beige colour is perfect for autumn/winter. This polish dries relatively quickly, doesn't chip easily (thank you) and looks great with just one coat. I got mien from David Jones whilst it was 40% off, but the RRP is about $7.50.